Zulu tries to push more power to engines and shields.
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Lenny runs across the ship, taking the guns and hammering the Orphanmaker with fire. It's shields fizzle out and a small explosion pops at the base of it's spine-like sensor array tower! Pippimi, meanwhile, runs between the desktop that controls the turret and that which controls the rear cannons, smashing all the buttons! Gravity and laser beams reach out over space, breaking through the Dusk Blade's remaining shields to start fires all over their ship!
As Davrin continues full speed ahead, the holodeck shimmers back to life. The shade floats there ominously. "I record this for posterity. In order to protect my ship for the inevitable success of the Corpse Fleet, I must withdraw. I'm sure Captain Callir will do her duty." With a wry glowing smile, the bloody taloned shade cuts communications. Shortly after, the undead elf calls. "Borai Zoran, you have won this day due to the cowardice of my compatriots. Rest assured, we will return for you." Her black eyes send malice through the screen, then cut away.
Both pursuing ships turn away, fleeing back to the safety of their supporting fleets. It seems you have an opportunity to finish your mission, at least before they return with the rest of the Corpse Fleet. With the Omenbringers driven off, there is nothing the remaining ships of the Corpse Fleet armada can do to prevent the Empire of Bones from crashing into the Stellar Degenerator, assuring the destruction of both.
You enjoy the serenity of the moment, flying through the vast on your large bony starship towards the stuningly beautiful, and terrifying, maw of the portal of the Twelve Suns. After another minute of flying Davrin signals that you are on trajectory and it's too late for anyone to stop the ship. At that moment you remember that you don’t want front row seats to this impact! In order to escape the upcoming explosion, you'll need a starship!
Dusk Blade (Orange) 0/60/60/40, 284 Damage, Engines Glitching, Aft Weapons Glitching, Starboard Weapons Glitching, Sensors Glitching
Orphanmaker (Purple) 0/60/60/60, 84 Damage, Sensors Glitching
Empire of Bones 70/27/0/0, 53 damage (1050 HP, 210 CT); Sensors Glitching (4 rounds), Power Core Glitching (4 rounds)
"Phew!" Pippimi stretches after all that intense button hitting. "So how team going to get out of here? Grav-trains pretty slow, and far away. Maybe there closer ships parked somewhere?" She looks to Zulu in particular to see if he's got an answer from the ship's systems.
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Lenny also looks to Zulu, but understands he might be helping on this endeavor very soon.
Right, can we halt its advance, program the ships collision path, and then lock that down so that we have time to get away before it continues unimpeded?
He thinks for a moment on what he knows so far about the systems.
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Zulu barely has a chance to look up from his glitching consoles u Tim the group is looking to him.
"I'll check."
And scans over the various schematics and manifests, looking for a quick way to get off this projectile before it saves the universe in an extremely explosive way.
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Zulu gets to work on the computer, shaking off the recent battle and checking schematics. His search comes up fruitful as he realizes that those two doors on the north end of the bridge, that the monks had been guarding, were actually emergency escape elevators! They appear to drop down to a pair of escape pods on a secondary launch deck. He's quite confident that this route will be faster than heading back out to the grav trains and running those throughout the ship to the vessel you came in on.
You head toward the emergency exit shafts as bright warnings begin to flash on the hover tables. Zoran translates them from eoxian, GRAVITATIONAL ANOMALY INCREASING. COLLISION IMMINENT. RADIATION LEVELS RISING. COLLISION IMMINENT.
You run into the elevator and smash the down button. You float downwards and a quiet bit of instrumental music plays while the elevator shakes from occasional forces wracking the ship. After a minute, the doors open and you eye a hanger much like the one you landed in when you entered the ship. Only this time, it has bodyguards! Four of the skeletal corpse fleet security team members turn their lightly glowing eyes towards you. They stand between you and an eoxian escape capsule whose engines are roaring and ready to go!
Just then, the gravity goes out! You all float slightly off the floor as the artificial gravity fails.
Fortunately for you, the hanger guards are just as thrown off by the gravitational change!
Pippimi SP: 39/96 HP: 65/86 RP: 10/13
Davrin SP: 84/84 HP: 74/74 RP: 7/13
Zoran SP: 60/109 HP: 79/79 RP: 14/14
Lenny SP: 87/120, HP: 81/88, RP: 6/10, 15/15 HP
z45719 SP: 60/83, HP: 36/78, RP: 4/10
Yellow undead 0 Damage
Red undead 0 Damage
Blue undead 0 Damage
Purple undead 0 Damage
Instantly reacting, Zulu snaps his rifle to shoulder and calibrates on the closest enemy and fires.
Davrin's hand itches towards his jetpack controls, but holds back. No point him flying to the escape capsule if the rest of team is still here. Instead, he trains his pistol on the nearest undead and fires.
"It seems I have drawn their ire. Perfect, each one that hunts me is one less I have to find myself. That can wait...it is time to go." Zoran says with a zealous fervor in his eyes, his veins pulsing steadily. He seems calm even with the situation before them.
When they reach the level below and find more guards, he lets out a laugh.
"Still they cling to their roles? Their admiral is dead. The rest of the fleet is fleeing from us. Calamity will soon consume the entire area but they still stand against us? Almost admirable but judgement still awaits." he taunts as he activates his haste circuit.
He doesn't sprint too far ahead instead pausing by Pip and urging her forward.
"Time to stretch out and grab the one in the back, I will be right behind you!" he points across the hangar.
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Zulu launches a fiery salvo that burns away a few of the guards' ribs. Davrin hits the skeleton's knee, knocking it off balance and into Lenny's wavering blade!
The warning lights on the walls flash white bursts as the gravity continues to fail. Three of the guards take to the sky on invisible wings while the fourth carefully steps back from Lenny. They all open fire, magical lasers erupting from long spent rifles. Two hit Lenny in the chest, their unnatural energies threatening to freeze up his muscles! A third lucky shot hits Davrin in the side, slowing down his system as well!
Pippimi x2 SP: 39/96 HP: 65/86 RP: 10/13
Davrin SP: 61/84 HP: 74/74 RP: 7/13
Zoran SP: 60/109 HP: 79/79 RP: 14/14
Lenny SP: 61/120, HP: 81/88, RP: 6/10, 15/15 HP
z45719 SP: 60/83, HP: 36/78, RP: 4/10
Yellow undead 118 Damage, FLATFOOTED
Red undead 0 Damage
Blue undead 0 Damage
Purple undead 0 Damage
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Feeling his primary target is in the group's way Zulu opts to pour hate into it instead of moving.
Pippimi activates her jetpack to better maneuver in the crazy gravity, then, with a nod to Zoran, jets across the field toward the purple baykok! She brandishes her blazing spear of fate and dives the final remaining distance toward the purple baykok, her spear striking in a fiery cascade!
Realizing that he would drift aimlessly, Zoran quickly activates his own jetpack before calling out to the group.
"Blast our way through but keep heading to the pods."
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The party shrugs off the undead attacks for now, instead moving towards the escape pod. Zulu stands still, trying to free up Lenny. His new jeweled eyes hone in on a weak point in the skeleton's defense and he opens fire! A fiery blast travels through the vacuum to sever the guard's spine. The fire races up and down it's back, quickly turning the creature to ash. Like a valkyrie from tales of old, Pippimi flies through the hanger and descends on the rear guard with a flaming spear in hand! She stabs it through the being's lightly armored skull! It crashes right through but... the Corpse Fleet soldier stays standing! It seems neither the death of his leadership or the destruction of his face can dissuade him from his duty!
Just then, the ship's gravity generator comes back online with a power surge!! You feel as if you've gained fifty pounds and struggle not to be pulled to the ground!
Two of the enemy guards are yanked out of the air like puppets on strings, smashing into the hanger floor. The body of the guard battling Pippimi scatters across the room like a burst pinata.
The two guards steel their morale, unafraid of the ship's impending doom. One sends a laser of necrotic energy at Zulu, hitting him in a soft plate under the arm. The other hits Pippimi in the back of her knee, piercing the thick armor in a lucky shot! Blood wells up briefly before her armor seals off the gap. Both warriors feel the necromantic attacks sapping their energies!
Pippimi SP: 0/96 HP: 59/86 RP: 10/13
Davrin SP: 61/84 HP: 74/74 RP: 7/13
Zoran SP: 60/109 HP: 79/79 RP: 14/14
Lenny SP: 61/120, HP: 81/88, RP: 6/10, 15/15 HP
z45719 SP: 13/83, HP: 36/78, RP: 4/10
Yellow undead 252 Damage
Purple undead 148 Damage
Red undead 27 Damage
Blue undead 0 Damage
Zulu staggers, both from the shot and from the gravity change, yet shakes it off.
Fighting the gravity he stomps towards the shuttle while calibrating his rifle to the next enemy.
Zoran starts pushing forward before turning to fire on enemy behind him.
Frustrated with the ever changing gravity, Davrin activates his jetpack
and soars into the air.
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Lenny keeps gliding in the air until he... bonk, runs into the escape ship. He doesn't mind. He's take a break from his usual love of photon energy to dabble in the forces of the singularity. As he becomes fully attuned, his eyes change to fully jet-black, and new powers open up to him
Making a mental note, he focuses on the identities of his teammates and tears two holes in reality: one next to him and one near Zoran, Zulu, and Davrin. Only his friends may pass through it!
When you’re fully graviton-attuned, you can create two linked wormholes as a standard action. One wormhole must be adjacent to you, and the other appears anywhere in line of sight within medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per solarian level). Each wormhole is 5 feet across and appears at an intersection between two squares. You and any Large or smaller creatures you mentally designate (you can designate “all creatures,” “all lashuntas,” or similar categories) can travel between the wormholes. This is considered extradimensional travel. Entering a wormhole instantly transports a creature to a square adjacent to the other wormhole’s intersection, where the creature can continue its movement. The wormholes remain for 1 round for every 2 solarian levels you have. At 17th level, you can create three wormholes using this ability, and upon entering the wormhole, a creature can decide which of the other two wormholes to exit.
Pippimi tumbles through the air for a moment as gravity (and the spectral barb) send her spinning, but she's able to right herself and point her zero rifle at the red baykok. She jets a short distance toward Lenny and fires a volley of shots! She gives a start when a wormhole opens nearby "Wah! Pippimi hoping that safe for inside of starships!"
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As the rest of the team navigates towards the shuttle, a familiar portal appears between the trio in the back, offering a faster route. A bit preoccupied, Zoran and Pippimi continue to pour cover fire into the back of the closest guard. He barely even flinches, his rifle trained on Zulu!
The gravity seems to have stabilized, for now, though you hear a klaxon followed by a warning across the ship com Zoran translates. "ALL HANDS TO BOATS. EVACUATE TO THE FLEET. COLLISION IMMINENT. ALL HANDS TO BOATS" Oddly enough, the ghoulish guards don't react to the announcement. Either they are fully committed to the cause, lack free will, or didn't receive the message. Immediately after you hear a call over the local channel, again in Eoxian. "This is officer Breq to Command Section Q7. Rendezvous at Hanger 2, escape capsule leaves in 2 minutes!"
The two remaining guards do not waver. One flies across the room and sends a beam of necromantic energy at Pippimi! It pierces her battered and dented armor, burning skin and threatening to drain her energies. The other guard takes a step toward the portal and swipes at it with an offhand. As it's bony fingers touch the portal it pulls back the arm reflexively, as if burned. The soldier then looks towards the ceiling, jaw unhinging, and unleashes a supernatural scream! It sends chills of fear down Zoran and Zulu's spines.
Pippimi SP: 0/96 HP: 46/86 RP: 10/13
Davrin SP: 61/84 HP: 74/74 RP: 7/13
Zoran SP: 60/109 HP: 79/79 RP: 14/14
Lenny SP: 61/120, HP: 81/88, RP: 6/10, 15/15 HP
z45719 SP: 13/83, HP: 36/78, RP: 4/10
Yellow undead 252 Damage
Purple undead 148 Damage
Red undead 88 Damage
Blue undead 0 Damage
Zulu locks up in fear from the scream.
Pippimi grits her teeth as another spectral barb stabs deep "Two minutes? This team not need even half that long! Ha!" She leaves grabbing the frightened members of the group to Lenny and launches herself at the nearby baykok , who wandered far too close to her spear.
"Got it, Len!" Davrin dives towards Zulu, grabbing him around the shoulders. The jetpack stutters a bit as the halfling flies them towards the wormhole.
"I have no fear of abominations." Zoran calls back while firing upon the red soldier.
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Davrin flies down to the stony Zulu, but the little halfling is unable to move his un-ergonomic weight! Zoran tries firing backwards at the guard closest to the pair, but his shot scores the floor beside it. On the other side of the room, Pippimi flies upwards and spears the guard through the ribcage! The guard looks down, his jaw gnashing in anger.
At that point, the gravity begins to fail again! The shipboard gravity still stays on but it's pull on you is light, like a moon. The guard covering Zulu and Davrin shifts his rifle over to Davrin but the nimble adventurer manages to dodge the pink energy dart as it heads his way! Up in the air, Pippimi and the ghoulish figure duel. The skeleton reaches down and swipes at Pippimi's exposed head with it's grimy claws. The appendages are surprisingly sharp, scratching through her armor. A warning flashes on the party's HUD, showing both Zulu and Pippimi's vital signs.
As if the situation wasn't bad enough, the southeast door opens and three figures run through it! The two skeletons in the rear appear to be low ranking technicians, possibly magic users from their lack of armor or tools. The leading figure has an officer insignia but the oddest thing is... it's an android! The andoid stops abruptly at the sight of the fight, startled. Then, reacting quickly, they draw two vibro-daggers from their waist and call out over the open comm, in Eoxian. "INTRUDERS IN HANGER 2. Come in hot."
Pippimi SP: 0/96 HP: 28/86 RP: 10/13
Davrin SP: 61/84 HP: 74/74 RP: 7/13
Zoran SP: 60/109 HP: 79/79 RP: 14/14
Lenny x2 SP: 61/120, HP: 81/88, RP: 6/10, 15/15 HP
z45719 SP: 13/83, HP: 36/78, RP: 4/10
Yellow undead 252 Damage
Purple undead 148 Damage
Red undead 88 Damage
Blue undead 123 Damage
Yellow 0 Damage
Orange 0 Damage
Officer Breq (Pink) 0 Damage
Navigating the light gravity as best as he can, Zulu takes a quick shot at his target () and dashes through the wormhole.
Pippimi sways, blood filling her suit as the claws tear at her. Things are NOT looking good for her, but she stays on the offensive while she can. She swings in a circle around the blue baykok, stabbing away before she dives back to the escape pod. "Pippimi thinking now time to go!"
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Pleased that he no longer has to lug the android (not that he things Zulu is heavy, oh no, he learned his lesson early in his career never to comment on his client's weight), Davrin dives through the wormhole, swiveling around as he exit to fire upon the nearby undead.
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Zulu hits the guard with an enormous blast that knocks out a chunk of it's rib cage before disappearing into the mystical portal! He pops out of the portal and continues his movement into the starship. Lenny gives him the nod and aims across the long hanger wit his laser pistol. He remembers all the times he's missed with that little weapon before. But then he hears Zoran's encouraging words in his ear and lets the laser fly! It flies through the vacuum and goes into the cavity created by Zulu's blast to scorch the skeleton's insides! It falls to the floor, a pile of bones. Pippimi, working through the haze of pain, stabs upwards at the harassing corpse fleet guard. Her legendary spear goes into it's center and the lights blink out of it's eyes! The skeletal body crashes 30 feet to the floor below. Seeing an opportunity, and reinforcements arriving, Pippimi flies downwards and into the open door of the escape capsule! Davrin, the last member on the opposite side of the hanger, fires on the oncoming android before diving into the portal! Even as he turns to go, he sees the sonic pulse collide with the officer's chest. Popping out the other side of the hanger, he flies into the capsule! Zoran, taking the long way to the capsule, sees the two guards fall and sprints towards the open hatch. He makes it by a hair, diving inside! Lenny, the last guard, gives the oncoming corpse fleet members a sarcastic nod before heading into the escape capsule and slams the door button!
You all hop into seats and Davrin starts the launch sequence. Outside the front window, the corpse fleet members start after you but are interrupted by the artificial gravity failing! Their arms flail as they lift a few inches off the ground. Davrin smirks and flies the capsule out of the waiting hanger doors!
Pippimi SP: 0/96 HP: 28/86 RP: 10/13
Davrin SP: 61/84 HP: 74/74 RP: 7/13
Zoran x2 SP: 60/109 HP: 79/79 RP: 14/14
Lenny SP: 61/120, HP: 81/88, RP: 6/10, 15/15 HP
z45719 SP: 13/83, HP: 36/78, RP: 4/10
Yellow undead 252 Damage
Purple undead 148 Damage
Red undead 163 Damage
Blue undead 167 Damage
Yellow 0 Damage
Orange 0 Damage
Officer Breq (Pink) 40 Damage
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Davrin keeps the throttle floored, rushing to escape the vessel and it's oncoming collision within the portal. You fly for a few minutes on the small craft's smaller engines, watching chaos erupt behind you. The Corpse Fleet has rushed into motion, nearly all of them aimed at the Empire of Bones. The armada ignores you. Half of the ships open fire on the Empire of Bones in an ill-fated attempt to destroy or stop it (uselessly, since the two Omenbringers have fled into the Drift already). The remainder dock with the ultranought, likely in the hopes of regaining command (which might have worked if you had not taken the Command Keys).
Yet, despite their efforts, the Empire of Bones enters the portal between the twelve suns and collides with the much larger Stellar Degenerator. For a split second, it appears nothing will happen. Then the ultranought deforms in shape, with rays of black and red energy shooting out of it. The Stellar Degenerator cracks at the point of impact, and then explodes in a prismatic fireball of incandescent plasma. The shock wave of the explosion warps the space around the portal, and then the demiplane tears itself apart, destroying its contents. Those Corpse Fleet ships close to the portal are ripped to pieces as ripples in reality emanate from the catastrophe. Those ships from the armada that survive flee into the Drift over the next few minutes.
You breathe out a sigh of relief you hadn't realized you were holding in. There you are, in a capsule in the center of a far off universe surrounded by the wreckage of eoxian ships - having saved the known universe.
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Davrin slowly but surely maneuvers the craft back towards Gate 1's moon, where your ship awaits. The capsule makes a not-so-gentle landing in the jungle but you are so thankful to be back on firm ground. You make a final goodbye to the station where Osteth, the artificial intelligence, sacrificed herself before flying off towards the horizon. Davrin enters in the coordinates for Absalom Station, which you haven't returned to in a few days that felt like lifetimes. You buckle up, he pushes the throttle, and the stars seem to stream past your windows as the ship transitions into the bubblegum colors of the drift.
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Zoran watches with an expression of almost joy as the remaining parts of the armada fall into chaos and destruction.
"There are still so many of them scattered across the void of space but we should celebrate how many we sent to the Boneyard...and how many we spared from an early judgement." he says contemplatively to himself more than to the others.
He turns to look at the rest of the crew smiling.
"The question is where do we go from here. Fate pulled us along for so many cycles and now we are ultimately free."
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Lenny untenses greatly as they drift away in their escape capsule. His solar moat floats peacefully around his head, not going to be needed anytime soon again.
We... actually did it. I suppose we should get examined for any after-affects from that explosion, but... it's over. I wonder if the denizens of the galaxy are going to even understand how close this was to being a disaster. I wonder... what other disasters lie in waiting.
Realizing he's getting worked up again he shakes his head visibly and leans back in the chair, exhausted. Just then he hears Zoran's question.
Where? The good life, I think. We've done our part. A single soul only has so much capacity for danger before the bullet comes up in the chamber. When the next "Stellar Degenerator" shows up... not it!
Just then he remembers something and flails around in his relaxed position for a moment grasping for his pack and then plunging into it. He comes out of it with a handful of cards.
Here! What better way to enjoy retirement than with a lifetime membership to Pilates of the Caribbean! You know... with the extra time I could perhaps actually get that place to turn a profit. I should work the tails of our exploits into it somehow...
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Back on their proper ship, Lenny further descends into complete, existential relaxation and decompression. His armor, laser pistol, and adventuring pack end up in a pile in front of his locker. He strolls around the deck of the ship with a drink in hand really just sort of enjoying the voyage and his crew duties as they return. Sure, they could be set upon by space pirates at any moment. But, meh, they've seen it all now.
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You have a few days to drink and share stories of your exploits together, that seem to grow in scale upon each retelling. You remember Clank fondly, that bouncy little goblin whose smile and energy could bring any machine to life. Between stories you dive into the treasure trove of armor, weapons, and priceless artifacts! You will return to Absalom Station a lot wiser, stronger, and a whole lot richer!!
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In the ensuing years, the command keys are lost to time and reside on the keychain that locks up Lenny's gym. To most who know him, they're just cute knick-knacks that help him avoid losing his gym-keys. He even passes them around to employees as needed, and no-one gives it a second thought.
Pippimi flops on the ground in the ship as the group speeds away from the billowing, cosmic explosion. Beaten up, bruised, bloody, and totally spent, it takes all of ten seconds before she falls asleep in her armor. She ends up staying that way all through the first day as she slowly recovers from the ordeal, and only rises up briefly to sleepily exchange business cards with Lenny (when he offers his), before plopping into her bunk and snoozing while clutching the totally not cursed Spear of Fate.
Midway into the trip she emerges refreshed and reenergized, having swapped her weapons and armor for the business-y pinafore you saw her in back when you first met on the Okimoro. She scampers about celebrating with the team, sharing drinks and looking out into the colorful void of the Drift.
"Team did it! Somehow! Even maybe wasn't all that hard!" She nods, crading a bottle in three hands "That part surprise Pippimi most. That at end of day, just normal people that happen to show up at wrong place at wrong time end up saving entire Pact Worlds and probably also Veskarium! If so easy to save universe, Pippimi wonder if just as easy to ruin it? Hopefully not! Very hopefully not."
"Pippimi also thinking... what now? What everyone planning?"
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Zulu drags his battered body into the capsule with the group and collapses as they lift off. Once they are slightly clear, he notices the state Pippimi is in and shuffles over with his Medkit to make sure the little, cute, energetic, puffball of strangling death wasn't going to bleed out and patched up what he could before doing the same for himself, noting that he had leaked a lot fluids out on that capitol ship, then flops in a seat and watches out the viewport silently.
Seeing the ship ram the degenerator and the culmination of such a long and difficult journey the corners of this mouth twitch up a bit. Then they turn up even more into a smile, which morphs into a huge grin and he leans back and let's out a large whoop, tears running down his face.
He then fades back to his customary stocicism as the flight ends and they clamber on their own ship, instantly checking all the systems and making sure the journey back to Absalom won't be plaged with mechanical defects.
As the group relaxes and the question is asked Zulu takes a long while answering.
"Next? Unclear. Solo life on one ship and the next seems ... unfulfilling. Maybe stay at station, open a repair facility. Stay close to com.. friends?"
Then he looks around his beloved ship, "Maybe find a use for this."
The whole time his rifle, his constant companion, his obsession during downtime constantly tinkering and improving and recalibrating, sits largely forgotten in the corner.
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"I am...torn in two directions. Covenants have been made with the The Lady but I also long to return to the Kish, help them assimilate to the universe laid out before them. Clank should be informed of our journeys as well." Zoran says contemplating returning to help lead those people into the future alongside their old goblin friend.
Perhaps a new generation would rise up and understand the threats before them, allies and friends.
"Yes, I think I can do both. Perhaps my stories will rouse their spirits and I can start an order of warriors there. The Corpse Fleet will not forget my words or our actions and I am compelled to be ready for them..." he says determined but starting to smile, "...and surely there will be room for a Blastwerks branch, a new pilates studio, that repair facility, and...a studio? If only to have excuses to visit." he finished turning to each of his companions.
"Hmmm... Pippimi also feel not sure..." She looks at the rest of the group "Of course, Pippimi going back to brief Blastwerks on what happen and help R&D get to remains of Stellar Degenerator. But after that, old job seem kind of..." She goes quiet "Not very important?" That statement seems quite difficult for her. "After helping save Pact Worlds, going back to help with company efficiency seem very mundane."
"And... Pippimi not want to leave friends behind."
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"Woohoo!" the exuberant Davrin yells out, even as he floors the engine to get the escape pod out of range of the spectacular pyrotechnics. He can't help but keep catching glimpses of it though in his display.
And that, is for you Kreel, my dear old friend. No one else could ask for a better send off. Well, even if it quite a few months later.
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Back in the drift, Davrin's floppy hat makes an appearance again, it not quite matching with the environment suit, nor the atmosphere-less Eoxian ships for that matter. And the patch is now on the other eye, for whatever fashion-related reasons Davrin has in mind.
"Well, I do have a looooong back log of clients to get back, too. Davrin is known for his word among those fine connoisseurs. Amongst other things. Lost some clients, but oh well, what can you do when trying to save the universe. But hey, imagine how this experience would pad up my resume. Hmmm..."
Coming down from his high though, Davrin looks around and feels a pang in his heart. It has not been that long but it feels like he has known these pals for years, and now that the mission is done, the eventual farewell starts to weigh him down.
"What do you have in mind, Pip?"
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The group collapses into the ship’s amenities for a well-deserved rest. Time seems to have moved differently since you’ve met each other. It’s only been a few weeks since your acquaintance, Duravor Kreel, was shot down in the hanger. You’ve all changed during your time together, as evidenced by Zulu’s private emotional outburst and his detachment to his favorite possession. As you think about what to do when you arrive back on Absalom Station, going back to where you have been seems so lackluster compared to the life of flying among the stars. Then again, as Lenny pointed out, a life of peace seems like a just reward after being shot at everywhere you went. And with the hoard of treasure in your hold, you can afford to move up a few hundred levels within Absalom Station, perhaps within walking distance of the “surface”.
In the ensuing years, the command keys are lost to time and reside on the keychain that locks up Lenny's gym. To most who know him, they're just cute knick-knacks that help him avoid losing his gym-keys. He even passes them around to employees as needed, and no-one gives it a second thought.
Eight days after you land back at Absalom Station you get a message from Lenny. EMERGENCY, MEET AT THE GYM. You rush over to Pilates of the Caribbean, using the address on the business card that you totally didn’t throw away, right away. You begin to get worried as you approach as the streets have been completely blocked off by Station police and there is water running down the street. You casually hop over the police barricade, such enforcers as common beat cops no longer intimidating you, and make your way to the gym. Every window has been blown out and there is water pouring out the front doors. Within is a hellscape. Lenny is running around the gym, using weight machines as cover from an invisible floating being who is launching fiery missiles at him. The gym owner is holding his own, though he is battered and bloody, mostly thanks to the gravity wells he keeps popping in and out of.
You realize that Admiral Serovox must have reincarnated somehow and get straight to work! It becomes apparent rather quickly that the Admiral is not wearing armor nor equipped with any weaponry besides his innate magical abilities. Working as a team again, you take him down with relative ease. Unfortunately, the gym fared about as well as the Admiral, with equipment destroyed, water pipes burst, and the façade ruined. Thankfully, Lenny had recently expanded his insurance to cover acts of terror – just in case the Corpse Fleet or Cult of the Devourer came after him.
You speak to a local mystic in hopes of discovering the secret to the Admiral’s power and learn it was in front of you all along – on Lenny’s key chain! One of the two Command Keys was an electroencephalon, the source of an elebrian lich’s power. He will return to unlife every week or two until the device is destroyed! So, you head to the center of Absalom Station, to the Starstone. You look down into the brilliant blue-white light and say goodbye to the conniving and evil enemy who has haunted your footsteps for so long. Then, together, you throw the gilded command key over the ledge into the crystal below. Zulu’s magically aided artifact-eyes are able to track the item as it falls, until it touches the crystal’s surface and evaporates in a puff of atoms.
GM Ewok
PaleDim
Lenny Shiroyuki